Common Ground
by PunkVampy
Summary: An ambush at a diner leaves both Castiel and Sam in critical conditions. Dean keeps a constant vigil on them in the hospital...until Gabriel appears. Because in reality. Gabriel and Dean are on a common ground. They're both big brothers. No Slash.


_**This wonderful idea was given to me by FeatherMcStrange. Or Alice. Or as she used to be called, Waiting To Get Out Of Here**_

_**I was stuck for ideas and she gave me this little gem over one of our Facebook chats :) so thanks for that Alice, means a lot. **_

_**Well, I hope you all like this :D**_

_**Thanks to all my readers, for all the awesome reviews you've been giving me on my stories. They really do mean the world to me. **_

_**Yours**_

_**Alice**_

_**Punk**_

_**-PAGE BREAK-**_

Castiel was hurt. The demons had attacked him via his weakest point. The Winchester Brothers. They had threatened to kill Sam. But Castiel had said that Lucifer had needed to talk to him instead. What else could he do other than lie? He had sworn to protect them after all.

Cas was sitting, well, it was more like a slump, in the back seat of Dean's 1967 chevy Impala. Perhaps the only thing he loved more than girls and whiskey.

Castiel's oceanic blue eyes stared blankly out of the window, watching as the rain drops raced each other down the glass. Every now and then the street would be lit up by the orangey glow of a street light, and Cas would catch a glimpse of his reflection in the glass. He was battered and bruised, bleeding from a cut on the side of his head, hidden somewhere in his thick mass of black hair. But his injuries were nothing compared to the younger Winchester boy.

Cas could hear Dean in the front seat.  
"Sam! Come on man! Just hold on! I'm gunna get you to the hospital, don't you worry. You just gotta keep on breathing, little brother…for me!"

Sam gave no response. Dean was steering the car with one hand almost professionally, while his other hand was squeezing the side of his brothers neck. Dean's green eyes briefly flicked over to Castiel. "you too Cas,stay with me…no-ones dying tonight! Not on my watch."

Cas nodded slowly, and pressed his forehead against the cool glass on the window. He closed his eyes, and tried to focus on healing himself.

"Hey! Cas!" Dean was turning in the drivers seat, switching from looking at his friend and focusing on the open road. "Cas! Stay with me!" the angels shoulders seemed to relax a little, as he slipped out of consciousness. Dean looked across at his little brother, his heart sinking when he saw that Sam was slumped back in his seat, unconscious too, and…judging by the speed of the colour draining from his face, he was getting worse. Dean shook his little brother's shoulder.

"Sammy! Come on! Not you too!"

Dean let out an aggravated grunt and cursed the very species of demons with every name under the sun.  
"Son. Of. A. _**Bitch**_!"

_Three Hours Earlier. _

"Can we get some pie after this? I'm really in the mood for some pie." Dean nodded his head as he said these words, striking a match and letting it drop into the grave, igniting the bones of a young girl named Tilly. Who had been causing a lot of trouble at a nearby girls school.

"Really, Dean? You just set fire to an 9 year old girls bones, and you're asking about what we're going to eat for supper?" Castiel grumbled.

"Yeah…that being the reason why I asked in the first place. Duh." Dean rolled his eyes.

Sam shot the guardian angel a understanding look and said. "After a while you sort of get used to it. We've been doing this for a long time, remember?" At the disgusted look the angel of the lord gave him, Sam sighed and quickly added. "Don't worry, her spirit is at peace now."

giving a satisfied nod when he saw the understanding expression on his friends face, Sam turned back to his brother. "We are not getting pie. Not now. We need to get back to Bobby's."

"Sam, it's not that dangerous. A guy can walk into a diner and order a blueberry pie without getting stabbed in the goddamn back."

"Dude, half of Lucifer's demon army are out to get me to make me say yes. You really think that's something to waste time in a diner for? Don't get me wrong, I would kill for a pepsi right now, but we promised Bobby—"

"One Pie, c'mon!"

"Fine! As long as you shut up!"  
"awesome!"

Castiel watched all of this with his same emotionless expression on his face as he followed them up the thin path. The Winchester's truly did amaze him, they were both being threatened and chased up about saying yes to Michael and Lucifer by angels and demons alike…they still found time to argue over something as insignificant as pie.

Castiel shook his head. _Wonders never cease. _ He thought, as a ghost of a smile passed over his lips.

They walked a few blocks to the diner. Castiel had no real reason to stay, as going to a diner at 10 o'clock at night was such a human thing to do, he decided to tag along.

The diner was a typical, damp, 24-7 place. Battered leather seats at the counter, and a jukebox in the corner that glowed ominously in the dim lighted place. The black and white checkered floor made Castiel's eyes hurt a little. Bryan Addams was singing about _The Summer Of '69 _on the jukebox. A wide smile appeared on Dean's face when he looked at the menu board mounted on the wall above the counter.

"Dude! Blueberry pie with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles! I'm in heaven!"

Castiel's forehead creased in confusion. "Dean…I do not understand. You say you are in heaven and yet you clearly have not died…"  
"It's a figure of speech, Cas." Sam smirked, Walking over to the counter and placing their orders to the rather zombie like waiter.

It all happened so quickly after that. Before Dean even had the time to blink, Sam had been thrown into the wall, smacking his head on the corner of the jukebox and falling to the ground. Dean didn't even have the time to pull out the gun from his back pocket, before he was thrown across the room himself. But he was expecting it, he rolled on the floor after the impact, tumbling smoothly into a crouching position. But what he hadn't expected was the demons to come from behind. No matter how much Dean kicked and punched, the demons were holding him with an iron grasp. When he looked over at Castiel, he saw the angel was in heated combat with two demons.

The waiter walked out from behind the counter. Sneering and letting his eyes flash black for the briefest second. He headed over to Sam, who was struggling to get up.

"you know…Lucifer has a price on your head, Sam. A pretty good price too. All he wants is you. just so you two can have a little civilised chat about vessel problems." The demon smiled at the sudden crash as Castiel was slammed into a stack of bottles, the glass shards cutting and scraping his face.

"But he never said that you had to be in…good…condition. So we're going to have a little fun before we escort you to our dear leader." The demon, known as Dretch, abruptly kneed Sam in the face, laughing at the sound of the young man's nose breaking.

"Sam! Leave him alone you son of a bitch!" Dean was torn. On one side of the room his friend was fighting a battle, and losing it rapidly. And on the other, his little brother was being beaten to a pulp. And Dean couldn't do anything about it.

Another punch to the face, and a kick to the stomach, and Sam was coughing up blood. Dean did wonder why he wasn't fighting back, he knew his little brother, Sam was always good in a fight…but now…Dean winced when he remembered how Sam had hit his head on the sharp corner of the jukebox. He probably had a concussion. And being beaten by a demon probably wasn't helping.

"Sammy!" Dean shouted, pulling against the demons that were holding him back.

"Enough!" The shout was from Castiel.

"Attack me instead, if that's where your entertainment lies, leave Sam Winchester be!"

Surprisingly everyone stopped. Castiel was bleeding badly from the repeated blows he had taken to the head and chest.

Dretch grinned. He clasped his hands together, making some of Sam's blood fly off his palms.

"Oh this is going to be so much fun….we've got a little angel. Its going to be like pulling the wings off a fly!"

Dean couldn't help wrenching forward in the demons arms when Dretch started punching and hurting Castiel. The angel didn't even flinch when Dretch pushed him to the ground. The demon pulled something out of his pocket. And, to Dean's absolute terror it was an angel blade.

_How can a demon get one of those things? _

Another Demon walked towards Sam, and continued beating the holy crap out of him. Castiel looked up, his eyes blazing in anger. "I said he would not be harmed!"

Dretch smiled. "I never agreed to it." He held the blade up to the angel. He then sliced across both of Castiel's palms. Once, twice, three times. "guess that cancels out you smiting us huh, angel boy" Dretch kicked the black haired angel in the stomach, sending Cas crashing to the ground.

"Cas! Fight back!" Dean screamed, as he watched his friend crumple to the ground and curl in on himself.  
Dean slowly shook his head. "Why don't you fight back Cas?...we can do this…"

Dretch kicked Castiel in the shoulder, forcing him to roll on his back and look up at him in fear.

"Dammit Cas! Stop being a friggin hero and fight back!" Dean was close to being hysterical now. He could feel all the anger seeping through his pores.

"D-Dean…"

Dean's scared eyes flicked over to Sam, who was lying in a puddle of his own blood, the substance matted in his floppy brown hair and trickling down his face  
"S-Sam just hold on!"

Dretch held his arms above his head, angling the blade directly above Castiel. Dean's eyes widened in terror.  
"NO!"

Dretch sent the blade plummeting down.

"CAS!"

…But nothing happened. All that could be heard was Dean's harsh breathing and Sam's low pain filled whimpers and coughs. Until…

A white light so pure, so bright, it could only be counted as something of the supernatural, exploded, shattering all the windows in the diner, and all the glasses. Dean could hear screaming, loud, death screaming.

_Cas…_

Dean felt the demons holding him back release their grip, finally allowing him to shield his eyes from the light.

After what seemed like eternity it finally died down. When the stinging in Dean's eyes finally stopped, he took his arm away from his face, and looked around. Dretch, and all the others were dead. Gone. Their vessels where on the floor. Unconscious…but breathing.

Dean immediately skidded to his knees near Castiel. He shook him gently. "Cas…Cas you ok? Look at me man!"

Slowly, blue eyes flickered open, and Castiel shifted his head painfully. "Y-Yes?"

"D-Did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Smite the whole diner into next week?"

"We've time travelled?"

"….No, Cas…" Dean actually found himself smiling. "I mean, smite it into next week as in…smited the holy crap out of it…" Dean always found himself laughing at how naïve his friend was.

"I…don't think so." Castiel frowned. "Is your brother alright?"

Dean's face fell.

"Oh god…Sammy!"

Dean was at his brothers side in seconds. He reached out a shaking hand and shook his brother gently.

"Sam?"

Sam curled in on himself at his brothers gentle touch, letting out a little hiss in pain. Dean had a pained expression on his face. He hated seeing Sam like this. In a way he felt like he had failed at the one job he had been given since he was four. He had failed at it….again.

Cas had stumbled over to his side, and was looking down at the younger Winchester sadly, placing a comforting hand on the elders shoulder. Dean bit his lip, placing one hand on the side of his brothers face. "C'mon Sammy…"  
"…head…hurts…"

"I know, kid." Dean pulled his little brother gently up to his feet, Sam automatically wincing at the dizziness in his head. His fist tightened on Dean's jacket. Dean supported his gigantic little brothers wait, one arm draped over Sam's shoulders. He slowly started to help him walk out of the diner. "C'mon little fella." Dean's voice strained a little.

"You haven't….called me…that…since I was…five…" Sam managed

"Well, you're acting like you're five…keep movin', kid."

…

Dean had no idea how many speed limits he had broken in the past half hour. He quite frankly, couldn't give a damn.

He pulled into the hospital parking lot, and opened slammed open his car door, letting in clunk shut behind him, before he ran like holy heck into the emergency room  
"Help! I need help!"

…

Dean was pacing. He had been for the past 2 hours. His heavy boots had been walking up and down the same stretch of corridor for what seemed like eternity. He looked through the window again. Sam and Cas were in the hospital beds. As Dean had claimed that the three of them were brothers, the doctors had been kind enough to put both Sam and Cas in the same room.

Dean silently clicked open the door. There was barely a sound in the room. Other than the dull beeping of the heart monitors, and the dripping of the IV's.

Dean looked over at Castiel. _Why don't you wake up?_ He thought. _Cas…c'mon…don't go without me being able to thank you._ Dean's emerald eyes looked over at Sam. With a sigh that held too much responsibility and guilt for a man his age, Dean walked over, one hand lightly tangled in his brothers hair.

"I know you're awake in there, Sammy. You're not in a coma, you son of a bitch, you're just trying to miss out on the hard work."

Dean sank down into the recliner, and buried his head in his hands.

_This cant be happening…no way can this be happening. _

Gabriel appeared in the room. A lazy expression on his face, while he devoured the remains of a strawberry lollipop.  
Gabriel only saw Dean and Sam at first. He tutted.

"Geez, which brick wall did you two piss off this ti—Holy Shit!…Cas! What the hell did you get him into, Winchester?"

Gabriel rushed over to the hospital bed. "Geez Louise!"

Dean frowned. _Geez Louise? Seriously?_ Dean thought.

"Oh man…his grace has been put through a friggin _blender_" Gabriel looked over his shoulder at Dean. Who was sitting there with a shocked expression on his face.

The Trickster, who had only just been revealed to be the Archangel Gabriel; narrowed his eyes.

"What. Happened. Spit it out, hunter, don't make me cover your tongue in friggin itching powder."

"We were ambushed…in a diner…demons…"

"He was with you? For the love of Haribo! When I saved your asses by smiting the place, I thought he was somewhere else!"

"That was you?"

"Yes it was fricking me!"

"Alright. Cool it."

"My little brother is in a friggin Memphis!"

"A what?"

"An angel coma thingy!"

"well so's mine!" Dean snapped. "So don't come out with the whole protective crap with me!"

Gabriel stared the hunter right in the eyes. "You've known Sam for what? 27, 28 years? I've known Cas for 1800 _Millennia's_…so I'm gunna go protective crap on you, dick"

"D-Dean…"

Dean turned his head. "Sammy?"

He walked over. His hopes rising that his little brother might have woken up, but they came crashing back down when he saw that Sam was still trapped in a coma. He was just babbling things.

Dean sighed. "Ah…Sammy…you had me hopin' then…" He sank back down into the recliner. Gabriel watched him. Pity in his eyes. Gabriel looked back at his own brother. Castiel was lying there, face pale, eyes closed…hands gripping the covers tightly as his head tossed and turned

"It's horrible…when you see them like this. You almost wish it was you instead." Gabriel said, in a voice verging on a whisper.

Dean looked up. "Yeah. Its feel like you have this one job—"

"To protect them." Gabriel finished, smiling. "No matter what. Thing is…I cant do that…not forever."

Dean frowned. "What do you mean?"

_**I've skipped ahead…seen how this story ends…**_

"I just…cant…ok?" Gabriel sighed.

He looked back over at his brother for a few silent seconds. Before looking back up at the hunter.  
"Me and you…yeah, we don't get along…but we're standing on common ground here. You're a big brother. I'm a big brother. We'd both do anything for Ping and Pong here to pull through, agreed?"

Dean nodded.

Gabriel took in a little breath and walked over to where Sam lay. "I can save him…make him as good as new. Cassy too. But you have to promise me something."

Dean got to his feet. "anything."

"Look after him." Gabriel jerked his head towards Castiel. "If something happens to me."

_In the next two days when I get stabbed. _ Gabriel thought. _Best not mention Luci. Or Kali…damn its been a while since me and her…__**focus.**_

"And I don't just mean look out for him, I mean full on look after him. As if he was your little brother, just like Sam. Don't let him do anything stupid, and if the damn idiot hurts himself, make sure you're there…please…j-just…promise"

Dean nodded. "I promise."

He meant it.

Gabriel nodded, and walked over to Sam, placing two fingers on his forehead. Sam took a gasp for air.  
Dean felt his heart rise up. "S-Sammy?"

"D-Dean?"

"Oh you little bastard!" Dean shook his head wildly. Shoving Sam roughly on the arm. "you had me worried fricking sick!"

"Y-you're alive!"

"What? Sammy ofcourse I'm alive! What are you on abou—oooph!"

The younger Winchester had his arms wrapped around his big brothers waist in a bone crushing hug. "I thought you were dead!..." Sam's voice went a little quieter and Dean felt his little brothers tears soak his shirt. "I…thought you were d-dead!"

Gabriel bit his lip. For the first time ever he actually felt a little guilty for making Sam watch his brother die over and over and over again in the town with the awesome Mystery Spot place that Gabriel practically thrived in.

_Whoops. Whaddaya know? Overkill. _

Dean looked over at Gabriel, whilst trying to breathe through Sam's oxygen banning hug.

"Thanks…"

Gabriel smirked and mimed tipping a hat. "No problemo"

Gabriel walked over to Castiel. His fingers were all set to touch the younger angels forehead, but he stopped. Looking over at Dean once more.

"Oh, uh, one more thing. Don't tell Cas I was here…it would mean a lot…"

"Sure." Dean finally gasped out, when he managed to pull Sam off, who leant back onto his pillow, yawned and close his eyes. Asleep in seconds. Dean shook his head, a wide smile on his face.

_Funny kid._

Gabriel gently touched Castiel's forehead, healing his grace and vessel in seconds.

Cas opened his eyes a little. He saw a face, a face he knew. The man looked down at him…a ghost of a smile crossed his lips…and then he was gone.

Castiel sat up. Dean walked over to him, easing him back into a lying position.  
"Dean?"

"How you feeling Cas?"

Castiel looked around. "I-….for a minute I thought I saw…."

"Saw who?"

"…" Cas looked down. "….someone."

Dean smiled sadly.

"Get some rest." He mumbled. Thanking the archangel mentally once again. He was going to keep that promise…no matter what it took.

"I'm gunna take good care of you…"

Dean watched as Castiel's breathing slowed, and the angel finally crashed into sleep.

Dean smiled again. Eyes flicking from Castiel to Sam.

"Yeah…you're gunna be just fine….

Little Brother"


End file.
